


Doppelganger

by randomcheeses



Series: What if? [9]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon Animé, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-10
Updated: 2010-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-11 01:04:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomcheeses/pseuds/randomcheeses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Roy flicked through the morning paper, he thought of his friends back in Amestris once again, and hoped that by now they had understood his decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Doppelganger

As Roy flicked through the morning paper, he thought of his friends back in Amestris once again, and hoped that by now they had understood his decision.

Amestris had had a parliament and was well on it's way to democracy. Roy's dreams of being Fuhrer were not just dust, but pointless now.

He'd been trapped up north for two years, haunted by visions of Bradley's death, of the innocent Selim, who had died at the hands of the father he'd loved and sought to protect, saving Roy's life in the process. The ghosts of Ishbal had also returned, forever dancing just in the corner of Roy's blind eye.

The only time the spectres had vanished, was when Roy was running up that ramp of stone, the Elrics half a step behind him, ready to save the world. Standing on that otherworldly airship, watching the man he considered his baby brother start to say goodbye to his flesh and blood sibling, Roy had briefly snapped. He'd seen the shape of the future, the heartbreak that both brothers would live with, separated for the rest of their lives, and said no.

He smiled, remembering Edward's look of shock when Roy had vaulted through the air to land next to him and then bodily picked up the younger man and hurled him towards his younger brother.

"You close the gate on this side," Roy had yelled. "I'll take care of the other one."

"Colonel! Wait!" Ed had screamed. "You don't-"

But Roy had cut him off with a laugh. "There's nothing left here for me, Fullmetal," he had said. "But it's past time you came home to stay. Take care of each other!"

With that, Roy had left, arriving on another world and coming face to face with a dead man.

He shook his head, clearing it of old memories, and turned the page of the newspaper, immersing himself in a particularly interesting article. A couple of minutes later, the kitchen door opened and another man, taller than Roy, but not quite so dark-haired, walked into the room.

"Ach," the man groaned, reading the article over Roy's soldier. "What new insanity have they caused now? And what was I thinking to join up with them?"

Roy shook his head. "I'm just glad you got out of it while you had the chance."

"Ja," Meinhard Hughes agreed. "Me too. I just wish I had realised earlier what madmen I was associating with. Frankly, I am still surprised that we both got out of the country alive."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Roy replied. "The state your country is in, it's not surprising so many of it's people turned to someone who seems to be offering a solution to all their problems. They're tired, hungry and angry at the way the world is blaming them for causing your Great War.

"I suppose. By the way, you still have not explained why you punched the NSDAP's leader in the face," Meinhard recalled. "The Thule Society supported him yes, but he wasn't aware of how much they had done."

Roy shrugged. "Back home, there is a lot of unpleasantness associated with the rank he seeks. Also, I believe he is mad. I've had more than enough of insane Fuhrers."

Meinhard let out a laugh that was tinged with pain and bitterness. "Always, you must do the right thing, ja?"

"I guess I'm just an idealistic fool," Roy agreed.

"As was he," Meinhard murmured.

Roy blinked. "Huh?"

"You explained to me of these doppelgangers in your world, did you not? How I am the image of a dead man," the other man reminded him. "Did you never wonder if there was not another Roy Mustang here?"

"Oh. . ."

"Indeed," Meinhard agreed with a tight smile. "Oh. His name was Rolfe Nakamura. Like yourself, he was of mixed blood, with a German mother and a Japanese father. Also like yourself, mein freund, he was an idealist."

Past tense, Roy noted. "He died."

"Ja," Meinhard said bitterly.

"Meinhard. . ." Roy said tentatively. "If it isn't too painful, well, I would like to hear about him."

The taller man blew out a breath, and then sat in the chair opposite to Roy. "Alright," he agreed.

"We fought together during the Great War," Meinhard began. "Rolfe was the explosives expert in our squad and very good at his job. It weighed heavily on his mind, and the use to which he was forced to put his skills warred greatly with his idealism. Alsom he kept butting his head with our leader, Hauptmann Kembley."

"Hauptmann?" Roy asked.

Meinhard waggled his hand. "What is the english word? Kep- no, Captain. You would call him a Captain."

"What happened?" Roy asked carefully.

The other man sighed deeply, regret etched on his face. "The Haup- the Captain feared Rolfe. He was liked and repected by our squad, much more than Kembley was. Kembley wished to break Rolfe's will, to get him under control."

Roy had a sudden horrible feeling that he knew what was coming next.

"Kembley had been given charge of some prisoners," Meinhard continued. "Two doctors that had been caught treating the wounds of the enemy prisoners, against the wishes of the local kommandant. He was given orders to execute them and cheerfully ordered Rolfe to do his duty for him."

"And Rolfe obeyed orders," Roy sighed.

He did," Meinhard said. "But Kembley's plan succeeded too well. When I saw Rolfe afterwards, something had. . . broken inside him. He was like a dead man who had not yet laid down."

"The next day, I saw Rolfe walk past me with a gun in his hand. I remember thinking it strange. For all that Rolfe worked with explosives, he very rarely held a gun in his hand, not unless we were being attacked and he had to defend himself. But when he walked past me, he was swinging it from hand to hand like a toy."

Meinhard looked at Roy's suddely pale face and nodded. "You already know what happens next, I see. It took me a few minutes, but I realised something was badly wrong and ran after him. But. . ."

"You were too late," Roy whispered, remembering his own horror and self loathing at his crimes and the desire to end it all just to get away from the guilt and pain, before Marcoh and then Hughes had talked him out of it.

"I was," Meinhard admitted, his voice choking and slipping back into his native language. "I was right outside the door when the shot went off. I kicked it down, but. . . there was nothing left to do. Mein freund, mein Rolfe, er gegangen, gone."

Roy stayed silent, not wanting to embarrass the other man by pointing out how much he'd just accidentally revealed. Roy had learned that people on this world had odd attitudes to that sort of thing. Drawing attention to it would just make his friend defensive and angry, perhaps even ashamed. So he just waited quietly, resting his hand on Meinhard's arm and squeezing it gently, the quietest, most unobtrusive way he had to say that _I know this hurt you are feeling, I know how much it pains your heart._

"Your Hughes," Meinhard asked after a moment, "this Maes that you talked of. He got there in time, didn't he?"

"Yes he did," Roy said quietly.

Meinhard smiled sadly. "I am very grateful to him, Roy, for giving me the chance to meet you."


End file.
